It's bacon hot! A piglet falls asleep in a doll's house deckchair at Pennywell farm in Buckfastleigh, Devon

An ice lolly, a dip in the pool, deckchairs... when it comes to cooling off in the hot weather, these animals don't play by the rules.As Britain enjoys a heatwave, with the mercury hitting 27c (81f) today, these are just some of the cunning ways our furry friends cope.And as the pictures below show, it's not just those here who are feeling the heat - from China to Germany, Indonesia to the U.S., animals are scoffing at what they've seen in nature documentaries and trying something a little bit different...

Let sleeping dogs lie: Tara the dog opts for a sunbed and parasol to see her through the blistering heat in Britain

Bird bath with a difference: Jacquille the parrot cools down in a tea cup in Costa Rica

One cool dude: Dudu the walrus beats the summer heat in China, at Qingdao Polar Ocean World; right, a squirrel gets stuck into a frozen treat in Swindon, Wiltshire

I've got this licked: An African lion in Brookfield zoo, Chicago refreshes himself with a block of ice

Sealion solution: Keepers at Qingdao Polar Ocean World have come up with innovative ways to keep their animals cool; right, Eski the snowy owl could do with a towel in the New Forest, Hampshire

Flew what a scorcher! A tufted titmouse suns itself in Massachusetts

Spread the whirred: This chilled dog has found himself a new fan; right, Chino the donkey enjoys an ice-cream at Pennywell farm in Buckfastleigh, Devon

Furry nice! A squirrel takes a dip in a swimming pool in San Antonio, Texas